moretea

I agree with you Malc. Best 1995 car out there probably. just goes to show that good quality LS400's are worth paying for. Well done Rob!

It depends on your mind-set Ben and what you value something to be. We all have our opinions and beliefs which we are rightly entitled to have. You even say yourself that your 'addicted to low cost old scrappy cars' which I can understand will affect your opinion on such things. You even said 'I am too old to be serious, too poor to be proper lexus' owner 😉, too cheap to think about any car' but you have a GS430 as your daily pleasure (don't be hard on yourself!). I suppose it’s like shopping at the supermarket in some ways. Some folk will go to Aldi and some will go to Tesco, and then some go to M&S and Waitrose. When it comes to filling the fridge and the cupboards we all have the same needs at the end of the day so why bother having the choice? Food is food is it not? If it’s cheap and does the job then surely there is no need for anything else? I mean who can tell the difference between a packet of Kettle Chips and a bag of Space Raiders? So, when watching the television in the morning while eating my simple bowl of corn flakes why would Charmin want to advertise their super quilted, ultra-strong, eco-friendly luxurious toilet roll? Why would anyone consider such a thing when you can buy eight rolls of value toilet roll for less money - paper is paper right? I am only going to flush it away anyway. The same has to be said about car parts. Why buy branded dealer supplied parts when we have offerings from Blueprint and the like? Why buy expensive tyres from Michelin or performance tyres from Pirelli when we can buy 'budgets' made in a factory in North Korea? In fact, why buy a Lexus when you can buy a Ford or even a Fiat? I mean Lexus are just glorified, soulless tin made Toyota's are they not? GASP!!! No Ben, they are more than that. The reason people buy Kettle Chips or make the odd shopping trip to Marks or prefer a LS400 over a Granada is because they probably like them and see the value. The market caters for everyone and every budget. Some markets are beyond that of average individuals such as those who like Italian sports cars or those who prefer a dwelling place with a higher council tax band. Do you want a dream car or just any car? Do you want the cheapest Lexus you can buy just because it’s cheap cheap cheap (forgetting all aspects of condition, history, mileage, expenditure, owners, rareness etc etc etc)? Do you want to be able to say to fellow envious admirers 'it was only a grand' when they are looking at your new pride and joy? Or, do you accept that some cars can be worth more because they are of a better pedigree than others? The thing is Ben; a Lexus of any kind is a superb car. Your GS430 is a great car (speaking from experience). In fact, the LS400 is one of the best cars ever made. Ever! With all LS400 models now nearing 20 years old and older and with certain folks (many of whom are members on this very forum) holding on to them because they simply cannot find a replacement suitable enough that over delivers like an LS400 does, then prices will rise. You have Porsche's and Ferrari's and old Merc's and BMW's (even old Fords and Fiats) going up in price and those of them that are a cut above the rest go for good and strong money. The tat will even have a value, like an old banged up LS where the engine and gearbox alone is worth a grand removed or a shell for an old Escort. The LS400 is a legend and a quality UK supplied car (provenance is important) with low miles, good history, nice condition and decent expenditure will always do well. Always. A Celsior with 10k miles would be a super car to have. But, it’s a Japanese import and that can affect things. Some Celsiors don't have leather. Some have air suspension. Some have odd holes in the dash from sat nav units that are no use to most English speaking folks. However, they all have a digital dash showing kilometres. They all have unverifiable history (some have books in Japanese but are you really, really sure?) and they all have a certain stigma. It makes no real difference to me personally as the condition of some of these imported cars is quite remarkable. In closing, to simply say that the LS400's mentioned are crazy and 4 times market value without any justification is wrong in my humble opinion. Crazy is someone bidding $17,752,500 for a second hand wrist watch at auction that simply tells the time. Well, it is a Rolex and it was Paul Newman's. Anyway, back to my cornflakes.

I disagree. Quality LS400's have been changing hands for decent sums in recent years. In fact, the green car in this months Modern Classic's magazine (the owner is a member here) bought his mk3 for around £8,000 a few years back. There was a very low mileage mk4 (circa 30,000 miles) that was sold for £12,995 last year. Earlier this year I remember two mk3 models circa 50,000 miles that were £7-8,000. Then there was the mk3 car advertised last week on Autotrader with 60,000 miles that was sold for £2,500 to a dealer and then re-appeared a few days later and sold right away again for £6,500. People who want a good quality LS will pay for them it seems and why not when you consider they are one of the best cars produced. Yes you can buy 150,000 mile drift cars with ten owners and needing a full respray for £2,000 or so. Or, you can pay more and get one that is pristine. Supply and demand in the end.

Do you have any photos? What mileage has it covered?

The passenger side is multi-coloured silver. At 1:50 in the video you can see where the repair was stopped (on the rear passenger door) and the front passenger door is where the brunt of the damage has been suffered. Silver is very difficult to put right. It just goes to show that Lexus main dealer standards are not everything. They may pay attention to the mechanical aspects, but they certainly don't have the pick of the bunch and the paintwork on this one is definitely clear to see why.

Oh well you better not buy it folks because some say a low mileage car is not as good as a high mileage car as parts do age and a lack of use can cause serious problems. Therefore is must be scrapped and has no value in it. Thank goodness we are not all the same!

Thank you both. I will have this added to the list to be checked and will report back once it has been in the garage. Hopefully, the fix is in sight! Many thanks again.

Thank you Phil for the reply. I will ask the garage to check this and hopefully that will be the cure! Many thanks

Hello folks, I have a Mk4 LS which has a problem that I (and 2 mechanics and an Mot tester) can not source. When driving the suspension feels fine, however when braking and when going over small dints in the road at various low speeds, you get this horrible knocking sound and sensation front what appears to mainly be from the n/s/f but also sometimes on the o/s/f. It is like a bone-on-bone knock as if the shocks were gone. After having two non-Lexus mechanics (who are very good) look at the car and drive the car - they literally can not see what the problem is. My question is, what could it be?! I even took it to another garage for an Mot (kwik fit) and they passed it with only advisories on some corrosion and a bulb (did not even know I had one out). Afterwards I spoke to the Mot tester and he said he felt/heard the noise but could not advise on a fault because everything seemed in order!!!! Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

That is a very nice looking LS430 you have - I do like it in white and the wheels look super!

That is Lexuschap I think. Just a different name. He is an enthusiast of them I believe. All the best in your search.

Yes I think that would be a great idea. I often find having the part number helps when looking at other companies for aftermarket items. If you are up for it then please do so!

Thank you so much John for the reply and for the contact details - they were a great help and I am relieved to say I can now get the rack repaired. Many, many thanks for the assistance!

Hello everyone, I have a 1993 LS that requires a steering rack which is proving to be very, very difficult to find at a fair price other than the Lexus main dealer. Due to the new MOT testing requirements, even a leak is a fail. Does anyone know of any companies or good sources to go to that may have one in stock even if it is a refurbished unit? I just dread having to part with possibly £1,000 for one from Lexus. I would sincerely appreciate any help possible!!!! Thank you guys!

That's really nice of you Colin to post our personal transaction on the web. You are obviously a true gentleman for posting these statements and thank you for letting the good folks of the owners club know it was for sale again. It will be advertised again shortly.